Methods for treating cancer using combination therapy

Abstract

The invention relates to methods for treating a subject by manipulating HER-2 on a cell as well as related products. The methods include methods of treating cancer using fatty acid oxidation inhibitors and HER-2 binding molecules such as antibodies and fragments thereof.

1. A method of treating breast cancer, comprising:
 administering to a subject having breast cancer an effective amount of etomoxir and an anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) antibody to treat the breast cancer, wherein the antibody is trastuzumab further comprising identifying the subject as a subject that has a HER-2 lo/ negative cancer. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering a fatty acid oxidation inhibitor comprising at least one of cerulenin, 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-firoic acid, oxfenicine, methyl palmoxirate, metoprolol, amiodarone, perhexiline, aminocarnitine, hydrazonopropionic acid, 4-bromocrotonic acid, trimetazidine, ranolazine, hypoglycin, dichloroacetate, methylene cyclopropyl acetic acid, or beta-hydroxy butyrate. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cancer is a HER-2 lo/negative cancer. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering a chemotherapeutic agent to the subject. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising administering a glycolytic inhibitor to the subject. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the anti-HER-2 antibody is a humanized monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
       7. A method of treating cancer comprising:
 administering to a subject having a HER-2 lo/negative cancer an effective amount of etomoxir to induce expression of HER-2 on a cancer cell and an anti-HER-2 antibody, wherein the antibody is trastuzumab and wherein the cancer is a breast cancer and wherein the cancer is resistance to chemotherapy. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising administering a fatty acid oxidation inhibitor comprising at least one of cerulenin, 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid, oxfenicine, methyl palmoxirate, metoprolol, amiodarone, perhexiline, aminocarnitine, hydrazonopropionic acid, 4-bromocrotonic acid, trimetazidine, ranolazine, hypoglycin, dichloroacetate, methylene cyclopropyl acetic acid, or beta-hydroxy butyrate. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising administering a chemotherapeutic agent to the subject. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising administering a glycolytic inhibitor to the subject. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the anti-HER-2 antibody is a humanized monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
       12. A method, comprising:
 identifying a subject having a HER-2 lo/negative cancer, wherein the cancer is a breast cancer, and 
 administering to the subject an effective amount of etomoxir to induce expression of HER-2 on a breast cancer cell. 
 
     
     
       13. A method for inducing expression of HER-2 on a breast cancer cell, comprising contacting the breast cancer cell with an effective amount of a etomoxir to induce expression of HER-2 on the breast cancer cell.